Top Ten Favorite Books I Read in 2011

1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Because the world she created and the story in that world is magical beyond any reckoning or description. I can only think the most literal of readers, the kind who hate the fantastical, could dislike this.
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Since this was the first time I read Austen, because I felt I must, and I was hooked and have read half her books now...I think. It's so nice to know I love a classicist in every manner one can imagine.
3. Enclave by Ann Aguirre Since, on one hand, it's a really great book that was the start of all my dystopian love and allowed me to start in this section and world of reading. On the other hand, it's also the book I class as having opened the door for me to the book blogging world and community. I've got to love a book for that.
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth Since I wanted it for so long beforehand, and it didn't disappoint. Along with looking intriguing, the story was like rollercoaster you queue for hours for, expecting to be disappointed, and only being in complete awe of afterwards. I loved this book and I commend and definitely see why it won Goodreads' book of the year.
5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett Because it opened my eyes to a suffering that I knew existed but never really understood properly until this book. It's one of those books that teaches and educates whilst also being entertaining and funny. It was one of those rare completely all-rounded books. And this is one no one could dislike, I'm sure.
6. The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson Since it was a much darker book than many I'd ever read and was graphic to a degree I don't want to think about. Yet it was the first non-fantasy or sci-fi book that I found myself hooked on and read in a day, moving immediately on to the sequel. Again, it was also quite and insightful book on Sweden.
7. Dark Matter by Michelle Paver One area of books I don't read is horror or ghost stories, otherwise my over-zealous imagination goes into overdrive and I'll sleep badly. I picked up this book in passing to just see how it was (Paver wrote another series I particularly enjoyed) and I found myself caught and couldn't stop. All the while, I was telling myself to stop otherwise I'd freak myself out but I couldn't. It riveting and brilliant. It's a ghost story as well, not horror, I might add.
8. Junky by William S. Burroughs Since I liked finding a modern classic writer I liked, since they're a bit rare. I found the book oh-so-clever and really liked the pictures and imagery created by it. I intend to read more of his work after this pleasant experience.
9. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting As I mention in the review, I found this through something else the writer wrote (an article I believe) and just fell head-over-heels in love with the writing style itself. I loved the book since it was both unique and tremendously well-written.
10. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger Was probably the first predominantly romance book I sat down too, and I really liked it. It was quirky and perhaps difficult to understand at first, but it quickly improved and became a book I recommend when I can. At the moment, my Grandma actually has my copy.

There's my list, and I hope you all had a Festive Christmas and relaxing St. Stephens day (Boxing day... I like to be different, it's not religious I assure you) as well as wishing you a truly Happy New Year! Let's all make resolutions we can keep, hmm?

Happy Hopping and Happy Reading!!!

Christmas Update

Hi everyone- Merry Christmas and all that!

I'm only writing this to say that I'll be taking the next week off in terms of blogging and commenting (except scheduled Blog Hops). I'll try and stay up to date, but it's unlikely that that will happen. Also, in the following two weeks I'll be mostly quiet (probably) because of upcoming exams- so textbooks take reading precedence over novels. I'll post a few reviews and perhaps memes in that time, but I won't do anything more.

Also, in January I have two book tours!!!

January 24: Dragonslayer Series Book Two, Iron Maiden by Resa Nelson
                  Guest Post by Author Resa Nelson (http://www.resanelson.com/)
                  Runs (overall) from January 16th to February 13th


January 27: The Fairy Tale Trap by Emily Casey Blog Tour
                  I'm sure I was told what was being done, but I've lost it. I'm trying to find out.
                  http://emilycaseysmusings.blogspot.com/


Both Authors are lovely ladies, and I have been following Emily for as long as I can remember in my blogging life. I adore her blog. Also, Emily has offered to give away a copy of her book to one winner, but that'll be on the blog tour day 34 days from now.

What I was going to say above, before getting sidetracked, is that both of those marvellous women offered me their books to review, but I'll be putting the reviews up perhaps at most week in advance of the tour stop. Resa gave me two (which I was made up with) so I'll have them close to one another.

So: Happy Reading, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Years in case I'm absent!!!
                 

The Blood King by Gail Z. Martin

There are minor spoilers in this review, but they are discovered in the first book either early on, or are predictable in the course of things for any seasoned reader (particularly fantasy).


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This is fantasy novel set in the fictional land of the Winter Kingdoms where there are Mages, Empowered Kings, and spirits more than able to affect there environment. Tris (Martris) is trying to recapture his old Kingdom from his murderous, treacherous brother Jared and his Evil Blood Mage advisor (when are they ever good?) Foor Arontala. Also, Tris is the Mage heir to his Grandmother Bava K'aa, one of the strongest spirit mages in memory.

As with most Fantasy, the plot is like a labyrinth, and you find yourself thrown into so many different plots, subplots, relationships and characters that it can be hard to keep it all straight. Thankfully, none of them have overly similar names and I didn't find myself too confused. Yet since I started this months after the first one (I got it at Christmas last year), I didn't remember the details which did have a negative effect at the start. I was interested enough not to just give up, but I was a bit confused at the start.

Another thing with the plot is that, despite only being the second book in this series, it was the conclusion from the last book. "Er- what? This is book two right?" were the words in my head since I'm not used to this kind of thing. Again, it didn't draw away from the book, only left me mildly confused.

I'm of two minds of the romance in this book. Part of me says that it is quite a realistic love, since it is neither too obvious nor the only thing in the minds. The characters kind of feel that romance is a dangerous thing to pursue with the current predicaments and their quest. I like that reluctance and the threat to the romance. Yet I dislike the tendency in high fantasy for characters to pair off with one another in much to obvious combinations. It doesn't make them bad match-ups, but it questions whether or not it was meant to happen, or is just sticking to norms.

The world of this book, and the different states and factions in the story make for interesting reading. We're always told a faction's history and it (thankfully) doesn't feel like a lecture from the author. The knowledge is given in a way the character would need to give it to react and work with the people present. Of course, the downside is that sometimes we can forget who works for who and who used to work for who. Fantasy characters (particularly the 'guide' character) always seems to have many fingers in many pies and there is always someone to recognise the new character introduced.

Magic is fine, but hardly special- besides the spirit mages. There are different types of mages- the Elements and then Spirit as well, I think (I'm not sure if healer is a sub-division or a separate branch)- and the elementals (Fire, Land, Air, Water) are mostly unexplained and just go about their business. It makes sense, since even though it matters a little, we don't need to know every mechanic of magic. The only real thing we know is that all magic is powered by the Flow, and magical ability depends on closeness to it. Also, the flow is usually in balance (giving light mages power) but dark magic upsets it. The Light/Dark element is another thing: basically summed up in saying that Dark mages do what they want, while the Light ones ask for permission or avoid death. Nicely black and white, not grey.

As I said, Spirit is the most interesting. Tris is a spirit mage, meaning he can bind, harness and release spirits. He has the basic magic abilities as well (like energy strikes, telekinesis) but his unique ability is converse with spirits and give them the power to be free to go to the afterlife, or finish their business. It sounds dull, but reading it and seeing its effect is quite powerful. I'm quite fascinated by death (as Humans are wont to be considering its the final major event of life) so I guess an idea that one can make oneself remain for any reasons or that one person could access the dead for power if amazing. Since everyone dies, the power is limitless and is a true force to be reckoned with. But of course a light mage only accesses this power should the spirits allow it.

A final thing is the religion in fantasy. I adore how, in fantasy, the gods are present and can be seen and interacted with in some ways. Here, there is one god who takes 9 forms, each with a dark and light side, giving a total of 18. There is also a relinquished 19th form: the formless one. Tris interacts with the Lady more than others since he is so close the world of spirits, and I like seeing that these powerful elements are present but never intervening. It just adds a certain something.

So this was a perfectly fine book. If you're not a fantasy reader, it probably isn't worth getting because it's not the jaw-dropping fantasy that will leave a good impression, it's just a satisfying read. If you are a fantasy reader though, there's no harm in picking up book one and just enjoying an entertaining but unremarkable fantasy.

Friday Hop Onze

Q:  If you had to spend eternity inside the pages of a book which book would you choose and why?

I'd definitely choose the world of the Night Circus. I really adored that book and I think that a hugely depressing for me is that this circus doesn't and couldn't exist. Reading it felt like I was transported alongside the characters and I feel as though I have visited in some ways. But that's not enough. I want to taste the cinnamon popcorn, see the Illusionist's Show and wander the long, twisting Circus paths. I would be an ardent Reveur, and run myself into debt getting everywhere for each show. Also, I like the idea that eventually even I could learn magic (maybe)!!!


The added bonus is the Victorian era. I like the style of clothes and speech of Victorians, and I just love to live within it all.

 Dear Santa: Which books made it to your Christmas wish list this year?

You can go to my Top Ten post from Tuesday to see some of the books I named for wish-list books.

This year, it seems, I've gone for mostly fantasy, entirely unintentionally. I love YA, but mostly when it is paranormal or fantastical to a degree; so in this light my accidental trend makes sense. But then I got to thinking about and I think I've figured out.

Short books burn me out.

I'm a fast reader, and I've found that when I read YA I can finish them in an afternoon if I'm determined, but this kind of reading exhausts me in the long and short term and I lose that element of being able to sit down with a long book and enjoy whiling away successive evening reading it. I still like YA, and I have titles I want and others I'll be attracted to as well, but I hate feeling like I'm reading things too quickly. With everything that is going on, I need books like something I can return to every night and be sure in my enjoyment and contentedness, at least for a while. And with exams, I don't have the time to be sitting down for an entire afternoon just to read a book; since I find the YA I read to be action packed and not considering the fact I might actually like a break.

But maybe I'm just reading into it too much!

Happy hopping!


And Merry, Magical Christmas as well as a truly infallibly Marvellous New Year to you all!